Getty This former Cardinals head coach is back in the NFL.
Steve Wilks didn’t make the grade as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, but he’s still greatly respected as an assistant in NFL circles. That respect helped Wilks land a job with the Carolina Panthers.
As often happens in these cases, there will be an immediate reunion between the Cards and Wilks. The Cardinals are slated to face the Panthers on the road during the 2022 season.
It will be a chance for Wilks to prove a point after overseeing a disastrous 3-13 record during his only year in Arizona. The Cardinals will welcome the opportunity to show they were right to fire Wilks after just one season and replace him with Kliff Kingsbury, a decision some, including Brian Flores, have questioned.
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Wilks Came to Cards’ Attention During 1st Panthers Stint
Wilks joins Matt Rhule’s staff in an interesting dual role after Darin Gantt confirmed the appointment on the Panthers’ official website: “The Panthers agreed to terms with former assistant Steve Wilks, bringing him back for a second stint with his hometown team. He’ll be the Panthers defensive pass game coordinator/secondary coach.”
It’s another chance for Wilks to prove himself at the place where he first came to the attention of the Cardinals. Gantt noted how Wilks joined the Panthers the first time in 2012, rising from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator in 2017.
Wilks’ unit ranked 11th in points allowed and seventh in yards surrendered that year, per Pro Football Reference. Those numbers helped him finally earn a head-coaching gig.
Wilks took a job as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns after losing his job in Arizona. His 2019 defense was 20th in points and 22nd in yards allowed. A stint as DC at the University of Missouri took Wilks through last season.
While he ultimately went one and done with the Cardinals’ Wilks’ experience in the hot seat is a plus for the Panthers, according to The Athletic‘s Joe Person:
Now, Wilks is being asked to help out on both sides of the ball for the Panthers. That might amuse some Cardinals’ fans given how much Wilks struggled to develop a competent passing game in Arizona.
QB Miscues Doomed Wilks, Who Has Brian Flores’ Backing
Those who believe a good quarterback can make or break a head coach need look no further than Wilks’ brief but painful tenure for proof of their theory. Miscues at football’s most important position quickly doomed Wilks’ chances of being a success with the Cardinals.
Those miscues involved signing Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon in free agency, before selecting Josh Rosen with the 10th pick in the 2018 draft. Rosen, who is now on his fifth team, the Atlanta Falcons, ultimately proved out of his depth.
Failures at quarterback cost Wilks his job, and Kingsbury arrived from Texas Tech in 2019 and was given Kyler Murray as that year’s first-overall pick. The difference was immediate, as ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss noted during Murray’s rookie year:
Kyler Murray threw for 300 yards in his first NFL game.
Josh Rosen never threw for 300 yards in a game last season.
For his part, Wilks was able to remain philosophical about his experiences in Arizona, even though he wished things could have been different. He said as much during an interview with Person in 2020: “I understand that this profession is all about production and performance. And 3-13. I’ve stated this before. I wish I had more time. I felt like I probably really could’ve done some good things there. But for whatever reason, they decided to move on, and that’s what happens sometimes.”
Others have sympathy for Wilks, including Flores. The former Miami Dolphins head coach is suing the NFL with allegations of discrimination in the hiring practices and processes concerning minority candidates for coaching jobs.
Flores referenced Wilks’ swift dismissal from the Cardinals in his lawsuit, according to Person:
Brian Flores’ suit also mentions the “double standard” experienced by former Panthers DC Steve Wilks, who was fired after one losing season in ARZ w/ a rookie QB (Josh Rosen). Meanwhile, Kliff Kingsbury went 5-10-1 his first yr in ARZ w/ rookie QB (Kyler Murray) and kept his job.
Kingsbury himself is under no-small amount of pressure after the Cardinals collapsed following a 7-0 start in 2021. It would be ironic if Wilks rebuilds his reputation in Carolina, while the heat increases on the man the Cards chose to be his successor.